The invention relates to urine collection devices, and more specifically to leg bags which are utilized by persons confined to wheelchairs. More particularly, the invention relates to a system for allowing an occupant of a wheelchair to automatically empty a leg bag without the aid of an attendant or assistant.
Many types of people with disabilities use urine collection receptacles called leg bags in order to collect their urine. In a conventional leg bag, a drain tube is connected to the bag to permit emptying of the leg bag. Emptying of a leg bag is a frequent requirement because paraplegic and quadriplegic patients excrete exceptional amounts of urinary waste to compensate for deficiencies in other excretory processes. For paraplegic and quadriplegic patients in particular, this operation poses an enormous problem, due to limited mobility which prevents them from emptying the leg bag themselves. The assistance of an attendant or assistant is therefore required in order to empty the leg bag, thereby reducing the independence of the disabled person and may at times cause embarrassment for the individual.
An attempt to resolve this problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,650 to Miller. Miller discloses an apparatus which allows unassisted emptying of a leg bag by the occupant of the wheelchair. The apparatus includes a valve that is attached to the wheelchair, and which has an inlet that is connected to the drain tube of the leg bag. The outlet of the valve is connected to outlet tubing disposed beneath the wheelchair. The valve is manually actuatable by the occupant of the wheelchair through a lever that is easily accessible to the wheelchair occupant, or else automatically through a switch mounted on the wheelchair. In use, the wheelchair is moved to a position such that the drain tube is disposed over a floor drain, and the lever is actuated to open the valve, thereby allowing the urine in the leg bag to empty into the floor drain. When the leg bag is empty, the lever is again actuated to thereby close the valve. This apparatus relies upon gravity to empty the leg bag so that urine can only be emptied into floor located drains or into the ground itself which is unsanitary. In locations which do not have a floor drain, or else the floor drain is not easily accessible, this apparatus cannot be used.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,181 relates to a system which comprises a pump mounted on the wheelchair, with the pump having an inlet port and a discharge port. The inlet port is connected to the drain tube of the leg bag, and a discharge line is connected to the discharge port of the pump. The discharge line is mounted on the wheelchair, and a valve is provided which controls flow through the discharge line. The valve is selectively positionable between an open position in which flow is permitted through the discharge line and a closed position in which flow is prevented through the discharge line. With this system a user must find a drain, toilet or urinal to empty their leg bag once the leg bag is full.
Therefore there is a need for an improved system that allows a person who is confined to a wheelchair and who utilizes a leg bag, or the like, to empty the contents of the leg bag without the assistance of an attendant or frequent use of a toilet or urinal.
The present invention provides an improved system that allows a disabled person in a wheelchair to automatically empty the contents of a bodily waste collection receptacle, such as a leg bag, without the aid of an attendant. Since the waste can be emptied without the aid of an attendant, the disabled gains some measure of independence, freedom and privacy, as well as removing a barrier to work, education, etc., and costs are reduced since an attendant is not needed as frequently. Further, the system of the present invention is specifically designed to allow emptying of waste at locations not permitted by conventional systems, thereby further increasing the independence of the disabled person. It is an object of the present invention to provide an automated system for emptying the leg bag when it is full. It is an object of the present invention to use a float or sensor to tell the device when the leg bag is full so that the system automatically empties the leg bag into the receptacle. It is an object of the present invention for a user to be able to empty their own leg bag whenever necessary wherever they are in a discreet and sanitary manner without the use of a bathroom.
It is an object of the present invention for urine to be pumped from a leg bag into a receptacle attached to the wheel chair. It is an object of the present invention for the receptacle to hold at least one gallon of fluid. It is an object of the present invention for the receptacle to be hidden in a pouch or backpack. It is an object of the present invention for the pouch or backpack to hang from the wheelchair seat back or underneath the seat of the wheelchair. It is an object of the present invention to flush out each night the receptacle, pump and connecting tubular lines with a cleaning solution. It is an object of the present invention to provide a manual on/off switch or a puff switch to operate the device of the present invention.
In an embodiment in accordance with the invention, a system is provided for emptying urinary waste from a leg bag carried by an occupant of a wheelchair. The leg bag includes a drain tube, and the system comprises a pump mounted on the wheelchair, with the pump having an inlet port and a discharge port. The inlet port is connectable to the drain tube, and a discharge line is connected to the discharge port of the pump. Urine is pumped from the leg bag to a receptacle attached to the wheelchair.
In yet another embodiment in accordance with the present invention, an improvement to a wheelchair having an electrical power source disposed thereon is provided. The improved wheelchair includes a pump mounted thereon, with the pump having an inlet port and a discharge port. The inlet port is connectable to a receptacle for bodily waste, and the pump is driveable by an electric motor which is electrically connected to the electrical power source. A discharge line is connected to the discharge port of the pump.
A variety of additional advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.